New ALDI discount grocery store breaks ground in Rockwall

ROCKWALL - A new ALDI discount grocery store, which claims to save customers 50 percent over national brands, broke ground in Rockwall two weeks ago, just south of Kroger, at the intersection of Ridge Rd./FM 740 and Summer Lee Dr.

ALDI has not yet released details about when the store will open.

The worldwide grocer operates over 1,000 stores in 31 states, including locations in Garland, Mesquite, Rowlett and Wylie.

According to ALDI’s website, the company does everything it can to save customers’ money.

For example, whereas a typical supermarket carries about 30,000 items, ALDI sells only about 1,400 of the fastest-moving grocery items – most of which are Aldi brands. “Smaller inventory means smaller stores, which leads to lower rent and electricity costs,” it reads. “This allows us to pass the savings on to you.”

A typical ALDI store stays open only during the most popular shopping hours. “Staying open later would simply add labor costs – and raise our prices,” reads the website.

“At ALDI, our prices are low every day. In fact, you’ll find they’re usually lower than supermarket “sale” prices. Compare ALDI to where you’re shopping now, and you’ll find there really is no comparison.”

“Almost 95% of the store’s products are sold under their exclusive ALDI select brands. These items are produced to meet Aldi’s stringent quality standards and are sold only in ALDI stores.”

ALDI takes additional unusual steps to keep prices low. Their shopping cart deposit system is a good example. Each customer inserts a quarter to release a cart. When the cart is returned, the customer gets her or his quarter back. According to the grocer, this system cuts down on the labor of collecting carts left in the parking lot, damage to cars, and they pass the savings on to customers.

Customers should also bring their own bags or must purchase paper, plastic or insulated bags for a nominal charge. ALDI encourages the reuse and recycling of bags to contribute to “green” conservation.

ALDI does not accept credit cards, but it does accept cash, debit and EBT cards.

Dena, keep your words soft and sweet because you never know when you will have to eat them. My mother always used to tell me that.

I grew up in a very grounded upper middle class family that taught me to be a good steward of my money. I personally liked it that we had an Aldi going in. I am a single mother of two teenage boys and they eat like crazy. They don’t care whether its Lays potato chips or Aldi as they seldom even taste it because they eat so fast. I am not on low income housing, government assistance, and seldom ask from help from anybody. Their food has to kept at a certain standard to even be sold in the US. I will just say that I am prpud of our City Council for letting Aldi build here. With the way the price of everything has increased it feels good knowing I’m going to be saving a little without having to go to another city. Not all of us have our husbands pay checks to spend and what I make is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Buying name brand certainly won’t make me a better person, it certainly hasn’t made you ladies (if you call yourselves ladies) one. Maybe you should think about the ‘little people’ as you so call imply before you open up you huge mouth, Dena, Protest and all the other stuck up women above my comment. You never know when it is you that needs the break.

We shopped at Aldi’s when we were college students with children. It was really a money-saver for us. We received food stamps, lived in government housing, and got assistance with just about everything else, too. Now we are successful professionals who live in a huge house, bills are paid, and we live in relative luxury compared to our college days. I was thrilled when Aldi’s moved into Texas. No, I don’t shop there all the time, but if I want staples or things for holiday baking, that’s where I go. I would imagine that those of you who turn your snobbish noses up at Aldi’s are younger and who have never learned the value of a dollar. I would bet also that your upscale wealth is propped up by a whole lot of credit. Who knows? When your credit goes south and you lose your so-called wealth, you could be looking for Aldi’s. I would much rather save money at Aldi’s and pay cash for luxuries than be seen going into the “right” store. If you care that much about that kind of shallow living, move!

What a bunch of whiners. Not everyone in Rockwall is wealthy, get off your conceited arses. I’ll be shopping their often and I’ll make a point of driving through your neighborhood to increase your traffic. What a bunch of stuck up conceited jerks.

I was outraged when I saw the Aldi store being built in Rockwall!!! I live in Rockwall-Heath, and with Rockwall’s demographics, it seemed more appropriate that we’d receive a Whole Foods or Central Market. If you’ve ever noticed the other locations of Aldi, you will find them in the lower-income neighborhoods; therefore, the only thing Aldi will add to Rockwall is lower property values!! What on earth was our City Council thinking!!!???

I LOVE that ALDI is building in Rockwall. I lived in Germany for 15 years (ALDI is a German family owned company) and the quaility is excellent. Why should I pay $2.49 for a box of Kroger brand cheerios when ALDI offers their name brand for $1.49 a box,,,and that is just one example? And get this…the ALDI brand of cereal is Millville the private brand name of General Mills. These are big name products made for ALDI.

I shop at Aldi for the basics, for foundational elements of the meals I prepare for my family, and if I need some special ingredient I can run to Kroeger and pick it up.

Decide what items you won’t compromise on, and buy the rest at Aldi. Just bring your own bags. And a quarter for the shopping cart.

Agreed! Like you both, I’m in dismay having learned Aldi is breaking ground for one of their low end grocery stores. The community would be better off with the Aldi’s sister store, “Trader Joe’s”.

Instead, we get a low end grocery store. “Low end” not my words, read the May 2012 “Time” Magazine’s review of the store’s quality of product, etc.

“ALDI: Gets highest rating of all supermarkets for low prices, the same results as last year. On the other hand, it scores the lowest of all in terms of “one-stop shopping,” “variety of merchandise,” “natural/organic choices,” and “inviting atmosphere,” and is also quite low for “high-quality produce” and “high-quality meat.” Basically, if low cost is your top priority, ALDI is for you—but you get what you pay for.”. Article name: LET’S PLAY SUPERMARKET MATCHMAKER, MAY 23, 2012

You would have hoped our city council members would have prevented this type of store. In addition, if Aldi was truly committed to communities, they would have done their demographic research and learned that location was not a fit for them!

Shall we organize a protest in hopes that Scott W. Huska, vice president of Aldi’s Texas division, will let his company know we don’t want this store! Turn the company’s slogan “Shop Aldi Smart” into “Be Smart, Avoid Aldi”!

But not to worry, the company’s decision to locate an Aldi’s opposed to Trader Joe’s will be the harbinger of it’s empty parking lot once shoppers learn what is inside.

I hate HATE that they’re putting this in. Aldis are horrible “grocery stores” (you could never pretend to get all your groceries there. Think more dollar store than Kroger) but the WORST part no one is mentioning- they’re building this literally inches from a big Rockwall daycare. There was a giant pit (not sure why a store needs to dig down 30 feet into the ground to build it) with a little tape inches from where kids play and walk and all that noise while kids are sleeping or learning. There’s a noise ordinance for them to be quiet after 7 I believe (when people are home) but that does a whole lot of good for infants with nothing but a wall between them and bulldozers.